The RoboFocus, by Technical Innovations, is a stepper-motor hardware and software system for driving various focusers. In the photo above, you can see the RoboFocus motor, mounted on an aluminum bracket, and driving the FeatherTouch Micro focuser via a belt which loops over sprockets mounted to the motor and to the focuser knob. I found that it was only necessary to use the coarse knob of the FeatherTouch, as this gave about 70000 steps of the stepper motor from the full "In" position to the full "Out" position of the primary mirror. Unfortunately, even with this system, I ended up with sufficient backlash that I would program the RoboFocus for about 600 steps of backlash; this is quite a lot, considering that the optimum focus range is only 5-10 steps! However, I did achieve reasonably good focus using this technique.

The RoboFocus system (photo above, from the Technical Innovations web site) comes with a small control box, which allows manual focusing, as well as connecting the computer, the stepper motor, and the remote power module. The RoboFocus software can be used, or other focusing software (e.g., FocusMax) can drive the RoboFocus system.

Now that I am using the TCF-S focuser, I only use the RoboFocus (on the primary mirror of the LX200) in case I change the optical arrangement, and the backfocus changes, requiring major re-focusing of the scope. However, I also have a separate RoboFocus motor which is now used on the FSQ-106ED, directly driving the focuser shaft. I use the same RoboFocus controller (as it's not being used for the LX200), and just swap the cable at the scope/focuser end. Unfortunately, when I did through-the-mount wiring of the Paramount ME, I did not leave enough of the flat RoboFocus cable (seen in lower left of system photo above, coiled up) to reach the FSQ! Fortunatley, I had a spare cable with 9-pin D connectors, that worked to extend the RoboFocus flat cable. Now, I leave the new cable connected to the RoboFocus on the FSQ, and just unplug the LX200 and plug into the new cable, in order to select which RoboFocus motor is used.